The objectives of this grant request are the upgrading and improving of the laboratory animal facilities at the Southern Illinois University School of Medicine and the provision of needed items of equipment to provide care and maintenance of research animals to better support ongoing biomedical research. The specific aims are to provide additional animal holding space by converting a clothes change/locker room to an animal holding room, to slope the floors in rooms containing runs so that the water will not pool under the runs and to replace cat cages with marginal floor space. The equipment and renovations are required to maintain the health of the animals, to improve efficiency of operations, to provide necessary additional animal holding space and to assist in maintaining AAALAC accreditation.